Galallipoli Campaign Speech

The reasons that I will bring forward that emphasise what the Anzac Spirit includes the sacrifices made by men and women, Anzac Day traditions, Australia’s identity and the qualities of the Anzac Spirit.

The Gallipoli campaign was described as the baptism of the newly federated Australia, and a chance for Australian soldiers to prove themselves to the world. They were not ultimately victorious, but the soldiers came to represent the character traits of the new country: fit and healthy, duty bound and courageous, good humored and egalitarian. The ANZAC image allowed Australians to both demonstrate loyalty to Britain, and claim an identity of their own. There is much to challenge the factual accuracy of the ANZAC image.

World War One is regarded as a major turning point in history and modern warfare which has impacted Australia monumentally, scarring the nation’s history. Australia played a significant role in World War One and the Gallipoli campaign, which is considered the birthplace of the ANZAC legend. These events have immensely shaped Australia as the nation we know of today. World War One began in 1914 from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and ended in 1918 on November the 11th which is now recognised as a day of mourning and a time given recognition to the lives taken on the battlefield. To a prominent extent, the ANZAC legend is significant to the concept of Australian identity and nationalism through the origins of the ANZAC legend, the key events that have helped form Australia as an independent nation, and in addition to how ANZAC day is commemorated today.

The Anzac legend is still relevant in today’s society as it reminds Australians and New Zealands of the sacrifice they made to protect our country and let us live in freedom. The legend defines our national identity and helps shape our national reputation so that other countries can look at us as and think of us as a country who are determined, brave, resilient and helps our mates when they are in trouble. Almost a whole generation of young men was lost and they deserved to be remembered. The soldiers continued to fight during challenging times and when they felt as though it was too hard and should give up. They slept in wet and dirty clothes and barely had enough food to survive. Australia wouldn’t be Australia without the legend of the soldiers who sacrificed themselves for us.

On ANZAC Day let us spend a moment in silent tribute to the thousands of courageous Australian men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Dr. James Vedder, a combat surgeon who was stationed at Iwo Jima for his first experience with combat, describes the constant encounters he must have with horrible injuries and death, and ultimately concludes that “in all this horror, the job became routine,” such to say he become numb towards the tragedy he encountered so frequently. He lost his human quality of compassion and pain, and went through the motions of fixing mangled faces and missing limbs. While it is devastating for someone to see death and injury as routine, this aspect of dehumanization is likely necessary for someone like Dr. Vedder to mentally survive the war. If he were to fully absorb the death surrounding him, it is not likely he would be able to handle doing his job.

Last year, on the 25th of April was the centenary of the Gallipoli landing. Which, according to the Australian Defence force website, was to be for Australians, “one of the most significant commemorations to take place during their lifetime.” With the centenary looming in the backs of the minds of the Australian people, it is unsurprising that great pains have been taken to construct a three year long celebration that would “encompass a number of historical milestones on Australia 's involvement in conflicts”, such as both World Wars, Korea and Vietnam.

The tactics used in World War I were radically different than that of previous wars. The majority of the war was fought in the trenches, and the war itself seemed to have no end. Due to this, the psychological impact of the war was unlike anything that had been seen before. During the early days of the war, the soldiers, on both sides, seemed to lack the dedication that would have been necessary to exterminate their enemy. However, as the war progressed, the desire to avenge their fallen comrades overcame their ethics and they began to kill their enemy indiscriminately. Surviving soldiers experienced a phenomenon that was, at that time, referred to as shell shock. Today we refer to this phenomenon as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. At this time, this psychological condition was misunderstood and the doctors lacked the training necessary to effectively treat this condition.

War can destroy a man both in body and mind for the rest of his life. In “The Sniper,” Liam O’Flaherty suggests the horror of war not only by presenting its physical dangers, but also by showing its psychological effects. We are left to wonder which has the longer lasting effect—the visible physical scars or the ones on the inside?

In the early twentieth century, before the war began, the role of women was already changing drastically. Women were working more, gaining a better education and having fewer children. Then, during the war, women played a crucial role in aiding the war efforts. One way women assisted in the war was moving into jobs that were previously vacated by men who were drafted into the war. Women also assisted in munitions factories. These are factories that make war materials. Women could have sewed uniforms or helped make weapons. These factories were the number one employer for women during 1918. After the “introduction of conscription in 1916” women began to work in jobs that were traditional reserved for men. Employment rates for women during World War I went up from 23.6% (1914) to 46.7% (1918). Because the population of women in America benefited the war efforts greatly, in 1918, the women's suffrage amendment was passed in senate with the necessary 2/3 votes. America's involvement in the Great War led directly to the passing of the 19th amendment, granting women the right to vote.

Many people have never considered what women were doing in WWII when their husbands left to fight. Their lives weren’t easy or normal during the war. Women had to work just as hard as men, sometimes even more so. In this essay, I will discuss the position of American women before World War II, during the war, and at the end of the war.

After the conscription crisis women’s rights started to advance. Some women even went overseas to serve as nurses to help injured soldiers. Women were much more appreciated after World War 1 than they were before the war started. This changed a little when the men returned from the war and expected to have their jobs back. The soldiers expected the women to return to working as ‘housewives’ so that the men could have their jobs back and return to normal.

Many women longed for a more active role in the war effort. Suffrage leaders criticized the government for not involving women more. So, when a shortage of shells was revealed in the spring of 1915, certain government ministers concurred. Munitions Minister Lloyd George encouraged the leader of the British suffrage movement, Emmeline Pankhurst, to organize a massive demonstration and march on the theme 'Women's Right to Serve' (Grayzell, 1999).

Women’s reactions to the war were divided among themselves. Though there were women championing the cause of WWI, there were others who opposed to the idea of a war. Right up to the outbreak of World War I, feminists on both sides pledged themselves to peace, in international women's solidarity. Within months of the war's outbreak, however, all the major feminist groups of the belligerents had given a new pledge - to “support their respective governments.” Campaigners for women's suffrage quickly became avid patriots and organizers of women in support of the war effort. National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), a leader in women’s right in Britain, championed the cause of WWI; through their collective efforts, NUWSS pressed for political

Millions of women before 1914 had taken over jobs that men had already stereotypically done. For example, some women had newer occupations such as typists, telephonists and shop workers. A small number of women were already attending university and entering careers such as medicine and teaching. The war just accelerated this. The concept of the war, meant that women were needed, both in larger numbers and also new kinds of work.